Cheating scandal casts dark shadow over Melco’s Cyprus casino

The Greek philosopher Sophocles is quoted as saying, “I would prefer even to fail with honor than win by cheating.” That doesn’t appear to be the mantra of one dealer at the Melco Resorts temporary casino in Cyprus, following reports that he allegedly assisted a player to win at roulette on 18 different occasions over a one-month period.

According to reports, the 44-year-old dealer, whose name was not released, had been assisting a 53-year-old man win on the roulette table. Staff at the Cyprus casino found that he was acting suspiciously around the security cameras on the property.

The man was arrested immediately and has been in jail for the last four days, and the casino issued a statement, saying that they “won’t tolerate such behavior.” Currently, the dealer is facing fraud charges, which could be expanded as the investigation continues.

This revelation is a black mark on Melco Resorts. They had opened their casino in Cyprus in June as part of the development of four separate casinos across the Mediterranean. €550 million ($621.25 million) had been spent on the City of Dreams Mediterranean resort and casino facility, which is expected to be complete in 2021. A temporary structure is in place until the City of Dreams project can be completed.